A Familiar Embrace
by sakuraame
Summary: [AU] She was in pain and he was confused. But is that all there was to it? Bound together by the past, old and new memories collide in unexpected ways. [IchixRuki] My first fic, reading and reviewing is appreciated!
1. Chapter 1: A Change in Plans

_Summary: AU She was in pain and he was confused. But is that all there was to it? Bound together by the past, old and new memories collide in unexpected ways. IchixRuki_

_My first venture into Bleach fanfiction! Hope you guys like it! And if you don't… hope you can tell me why so I can make it better, thanks!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. If I did, the manga would probably have the same artistic quality as Rukia's pictures… actually that's probably something I wouldn't mind seeing for a good laugh…_

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**A Familiar Embrace  
Chapter 1: A Change in Plans**

Rukia was never a big fan of these kinds of parties, but she didn't hate them either. She just wasn't in the mood to mix and mingle with people she hadn't seen since high school and others whom she had never seen before. Even the handful of people she did know couldn't get her to introduce herself to too many other people. But Renji convinced her that she needed to get out of her apartment. It was the start of the New Year for heaven's sake. A new year, a new start. She just felt a little out of place. She had been over at Renji's house before, but then it was just her, Renji and other close friends hanging out. She wasn't used to there being so many bodies, and so many strangers in such a familiar place. Oh well, just being around other people was probably a good thing for her; she did admit it was better than sitting at home watching mindless TV.

She was standing next to the punch, which she vowed not to have any more of after realizing that there was a little something extra in it to kick start the party and that it wasn't just punch made from Minute Maid concentrate, when the red-haired, tattooed Renji tapped her on the shoulder.

"Oi Rukia, there you are. I was looking everywhere for you."

Rukia looked up. "Obviously not everywhere if you didn't even think to check next to the snacks. Where, I might add, I was stationed at for at least 10 minutes," Rukia smirked as she reached for the tortilla chips. Whoever thought of guacamole was a genius.

"Whatever. Just save some for other people will you? Anyways, you gotta see this. Shuuhei just got here and he got a new tattoo. It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen."

"Even more ridiculous than the one's doodled across your face? This I gotta see." Rukia smiled with a twinkle in her eye as she tucked a stray strand of black hair behind her ear and popped the tortilla chip in her mouth, leaving a scowling Renji at the table.

"Mine are _unique_ and works of _art_, Rukia! They happen to harbor deep meaning! Are you listening… Oi, Rukia! And you're going the wrong way." Renji put his hands on Rukia's petite shoulders and led her toward the noisy crowd congregating by the door.

Standing by the door was Hisagi Shuuhei, surrounded by large group of girls who were admiring the new "69" tattooed across his face. Shuuhei was always level-headed and never seemed to show any unnecessary emotion, but having so much estrogen surrounding him and bombarding him with questions about his tattoo and what it meant was obviously making him uncomfortable. Hisagi Shuhei was never one to beg, his pride didn't allow for it, but this was the one time that he didn't mind looking for help. Knowing this, Renji enjoyed watching Shuuhei squirm uncomfortably for the next few seconds, Shuuhei's pleading eyes boring into his. Finally Renji relented, chuckling as he proceeded his way through the crowd.

"Oi, Shuuhei! Get your ass in here, Kira is pissed that his drinking buddy isn't here." Renji pushed his way through miniskirts and tube tops, put his arm around Shuuhei and gave a little bow to the estrogen-tinged crowd surrounding them.

"Ladies, if you'll excuse us, Shuuhei here has a bottle of sake with his name written on it, and if you're really curious I'm sure Shuuhei will be happy to show what his tattoo means later tonight."

Rukia smirked as she watched the heat spread from Shuuhei's neck to the apples of his checks, his blush and embarrassment threatening to take over his features as he opened and closed his mouth in protest, not really sure what to say to Renji's outrageous proposal and insinuation. Looking around, Rukia wasn't sure if Shuuhei or the girls looked more embarrassed as illicit images of Shuuhei floated through their heads. Rukia grinned. She couldn't pass up the opportunity to make Shuuhei even more uncomfortable.

"So Shuuehi, what does the tattoo mean?" Rukia asked, playfully leaning close to Shuuhei almost leering at him. He refused to meet her playful gaze, proceeded to turn an even darker shade of embarrassment, if that was possible, and just quietly said,

"It's a secret."

Rukia and Renji couldn't help but laugh. Making fun of Shuuhei was just so entertaining.

"I'm gonna go find Izuru. I need a drink." And so Shuuhei walked off, oblivious to the fangirls on his heels, who acted like, rather badly one might add, that they weren't following him.

As amusing as everything was, Rukia couldn't help but look with sad eyes at the scene before her as Shuuhei walked away into the crowd of half drunk girls and guys.

_How could girls be so pathetic and trail after guys like that? Don't they see that he doesn't even know they exist? People can be so sad sometimes, _Rukia thought_, and girls can be the worst of the lot sometimes. Girls throwing themselves at some guy. Girls scantily clad to get the attention of some guy... Girls thinking that he really cares, that's he's genuinely interested, that the words he says in the middle of the night, words he says when they're alone, that they aren't just to score a quick lay. They think that they would never be amounted to just a fling or just a night of fun, unless they wanted it to be. They never think past the moment. Never think that 95 of the "relationships" forged tonight will boil down to nothing or result in someone holding the pieces of their broken heart in their hands. That they will spend the next few months trying to piece it back together, only to give it to someone else they think they can trust. Someone they believe will treat it with care. And instead, the cycle of pain just begins again. Just begins…_

"Rukia!"

"Huh?" Rukia's snapped around to look at Renji. His shouting brought her out of her mental rant. He had been trying to get her attention for quite some time, and as Rukia looked up at Renji she saw the concern in his eyes.

"Renji. I'm fine, I'm fine. Really. I'm fine." Rukia repeated as she saw the look of disbelief on Renji's face. The more the repeated herself, the more he doubted her. The battle of wills finally ended when Renji sighed.

"Okay, let's just pretend for a moment that I accept the fact that you think you're fine. But I'm still worried about you. I know you're strong Rukia, but remember I'm always here for you 'kay?"

Rukia opened her mouth to protest, to insist once more that she truly was fine, but thought better of it. She nodded and smiled up at Renji, trying to ease the worry on his face. She looked around, sighed and shook her head in an attempt to clear it. She was here, her friends were here, maybe she'll meet some new cool people; she might as well enjoy herself.

"So Renji, where's the booze?" Renji was a little taken aback by the sudden change in topic and tone. That and Rukia had never been a big drinker. She could hold her liquor, which was surprising for her small stature, but she rarely asked for the stuff unless she was with an intimate group of friends. Seeeing Renji's reaction Rukia laughed.

"I just wanted to know where Rangiku was." This time it was Renji's trun to laugh, he tipped his head towards the living room and lead the way.

* * *

"Do you even know anyone at the party, Keigo? Or are you just here to try to pick up chicks with your non-existent game? I can't believe I let you talk me into coming here. If Chad doesn't get here in the next 10 minutes I'm leaving." Ichigo's amber eyes stared off into the distance, a vague look of boredom on his face.

"That's cruel Ichigo! You would pick Chad over me?! And I happen to be doing you a favor! You've been so mopey and moody these few months! You need to get out more! Have more fun! As your good friend I figured it would do you some good to meet some new people. As your good friend…"

Ichigo was only half listening to Keigo, but when Keigo uncharacteristically stopped his rant without any interjections from Ichigo, he was a little confused.

"As my good friend you what?" And so Ichigo turned around to see Keigo engrossed in conversation with two girls. He sighed. _Nothing less form Keigo I guess. So why am I here again? This is ridiculous. I'm going home._

As Ichigo made his way toward Keigo to let him know the change in plan, something caught his eye. A tall red haired guy was making his way across the room, but it was the tiny black haired girl laughing and following him that captured his gaze. His eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of her face and saw how beautiful she looked. He averted his gaze to the floor and stared at no point in particular as he contemplated this new factor in his plans. His eyes softened and his lips unconsciously stretched into a little smile. He might just stay after all.


	2. Chapter 2: Failed Attempts

_Thank you to those that read, hopefully you can find time to drop a quick review too! Hope you enjoy this chapter as much... no, hope you enjoy it more than I enjoyed writing it! _

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. All I own is this story… and a busted iPod…_

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**A Familiar Embrace **

**Chapter 2: Failed Attempts**

Ichigo couldn't take his eyes off of her. There was no question that she was extremely pretty, but it was her laugh and her smile that made him grin. But it was also a laugh and a smile that made his heart ache. It was a reminder of the possibility of happiness in life, of the happiness that he had a few months ago. After all that had happened, how did he end up here, standing next to a plant in the corner of a stranger's house party because Keigo wanted to meet some girls, staring at the tiny raven haired beauty? God was either cruel or had a wicked sense of humor. Ichigo personally hoped it was the latter.

Someone was bound to notice him sooner or later. His tall stature and orange hair were a little hard to miss. And so after 10 minutes of observing his behavior Hinamori Momo went to inform Rukia of her new admirer.

"Ne, Rukia-chan, that guy has been checking you out for a while," Momo whispered.

"What? Are you serious? Who?" Rukia groaned. And she was just finally beginning to enjoy herself too. She just wanted to be with her friends tonight and not have worry about some creep hitting on her.

"Behind me. He's standing next to that sorry plastic excuse for a plant."

Rukia smiled at Momo's disdain for the plastic décor. A plastic fern was not what Momo had in mind when she asked her boyfriend to buy something to "give the place some life". Giggling at the memory of Momo's unbelieving face when she saw it, Rukia craned her neck and tried to discreetly look over Momo's shoulder.

_So, who am I avoiding for the rest of the night? _Rukia wondered. With a confused look on her face Rukia looked back at Momo,

"There's no one there."

"Huh?" Momo spun around, and sure enough, the "plant" was without a companion. "But he was just there a second ago. I wonder where he went?"

Momo scanned the living room, craned her neck into the kitchen and looked over to the couches where Matsumoto Rangiku, Hisagi Shuuhei, Abrai Renji, and Kira Izuru were still playing drinking games while Hitsugaya Toushiro glared at them, ready to kill anyone who puked or even spilled anything on the carpet, but alas, still no sign of Rukia's mystery man.

"Whatever, it's better that he's not here. I'd rather not have some stranger put a damper on my night." Rukia looked over at the couches, thinking she might actually join whatever game they were playing.

Momo sighed. "He was kinda good-looking too. But don't tell Shiro-chan I said that," Momo quickly added after seeing the smirk on Rukia's face. Rukia wasn't sure if she was amused because of the fact that Momo's boyfriend's pet name was Shiro-chan or that… who was she kidding? Toshiro begin called Shiro-chan was funny, and his utter horror at being called by said nickname was hilarious. Maybe he bought a plastic plant on purpose…

"C'mon Momo, let's…" but Rukia never got a chance to finish her sentence because Momo suddenly turned around and gripped Rukia's arm.

"What's wrong Momo?"

"He's right there! Right in front of you! Walking towards us!" Momo managed to say through clenched teeth.

Rukia looked up and her eyes went wide when she saw an orange-haired guy slowly approaching them, his right hand nervously scratching the back of his head and occasionally making eye contact before letting it drop again to the floor.

"Oh, my gosh…" Rukia breathed.

"I know, he's cute huh?"

Rukai shifted her gaze to the floor unsure of what to say as Ichigo's shoes came into her line of sight.

* * *

He had decided. He would talk to her. He would finally get to talk to her. Ichigo moved from the corner of the room and made his way toward the kitchen. He needed a drink to calm his nerves first. But as he walked past her, his feet seemed to have a mind of their own and before he knew it, he was making his way toward her. And before he could turn around he caught her eye. There was no turning back now. 

Ichigo could hear the blood pounding in his ears, and it just got louder and louder as he closed the distance between them. He resisted the urge to grab a hold of his chest; it would just be a futile attempt in preventing his heart from exploding out of his body and would do nothing to slow down his heart rate. Ichigo couldn't remember the last time he was this nervous. What was he going to say? Something simple? Something witty? Something funny? Something… he had to say _something_…

_Oh, crap_. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of her, scratching the back of his head in an attempt to control the nervousness and embarrassment bubbling to the surface. And he still didn't know what to say. _I should have planned this out better._

Rukia wasn't looking at him and he tried not to stare at her. Momo looked back and forth between the two. If she didn't do something soon, she would choke on the tension that their awkwardness was creating.

"Hi! I'm Hinamori Momo. It's nice to meet you."

Ichigo snapped back into reality and finally found some words as Momo's bright voice cut through his daze. He took the hand she offered and preceded to introduce himself.

"Kurosaki Ichigo. Nice to meet you."

Momo looked over at Rukia, who still hadn't said anything. Normally Rukia let the guys introduce themselves, say their horrible and cheesy pick-up lines and then would send them on their way. But Ichigo looked like he was at a loss for words and Rukia still hadn't made a sound, or even acknowledged that he was there. She was just staring at the ground, nervously wringing her hands, not even looking…

_Oh… I know what's going on. THE Kuchiki Rukia is actually shy?_ Momo giggled.

"And this is my friend…"

"Actually…" Ichigo began, but to his surprise, he was interrupted by the quiet girl in front of him.

"Hello, Kurosaki-kun. I'm Kuchiki Rukia. It's nice to meet you." Rukia had finally lifted her head. She gave Ichigo a small smile and extended her hand.

Momo watched as Ichigo's eyes went wide for a second, he opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it a second later. She thought she caught a cloud of sadness behind his eyes, but when she looked for it again, it was gone and Ichigo was extending his hand.

"It's nice to meet you… Kuchiki-san," Ichigo replied, his voice strangely tight.

Momo noticed how quickly Rukia released his hand and yet how slowly their hands seemed to move back to their respective bodies, as if they were afraid of lingering contact and yet desired it at the same time. After the relatively awkward introduction, the stifling tension returned. Momo sighed, why was she doing all the work when Rukia was the one Ichigo was interested in?

"Ne, Kurosaki-kun, are you a high school friend of Renji or Shuuhei? 'Cause I don't think I've seen you around before."

"Actually I just came with a friend at the last minute. But I don't think he knows anyone either," Ichigo admitted. Momo giggled and Ichigo gave her a lop-sided grin, but their amusement was cut short with Rukia's next words.

"So you're essentially here uninvited, correct?" Rukia's eyes flashed as they locked themselves onto Ichigo.

Ichigo couldn't do much else but stare at Rukia, a look of disbelief on his face as his brain slowly attempted to process her cold words. Momo was just as surprised and looked nervously back and forth between the two, not sure what to expect next.

"Rukia-chan…" Momo whispered fearfully. She knew Rukia could be harsh, but this was pushing it.

When Ichigo finally got his bearings together, with his eyebrows knit together and lips molded into a scowl, he was prepared to dish it out to Rukia when Ranigku's voice calling from the next room was heard over all the commotion.

"Hinamori Momo! Shiro-chan is looking for you!"

"That's Toushiro to you!"

"So does that mean you're Shiro-chan to Momo-chan?" Rangiku taunted. Momo could just imagine the look on Tourshiro's face as she listened to the silence that was followed by the room bursting out in laughter. But she was torn. Momo didn't want to leave Rukia by herself, who knows what would happen to the poor spiky-haired boy, but she hadn't seen Toushiro since they arrived at the party either. Seeing the internal battle Momo was fighting, Rukia decided to make the decision for her and pushed Momo toward the other room. Momo questioningly looked back, but Rukia shooed her off. She gave one last apologetic look to Ichigo and made her way toward her embarrassed boyfriend.

_I'm finally alone with her, I'm finally alone with her, I'm…_

His mind was racing, but nevertheless Ichigo opened his mouth in an attempt to strike up a conversation with her and present a better impression of himself, but before he could even get one word out, Rukia had finished half her sentence.

"Well, Kurosaki-kun, it was nice to meet you. I hope you enjoy yourself tonight. Bye." And with that Rukia gave Ichigo a small smile. As she turned around, Ichigo thought he could hear her sigh, as if she were relieved that the ordeal was over.

For what seemed like the fifth time that night, Ichigo was speechless as he watched Rukia walk away. A million thoughts ran through his mind, but unable to bring himself to move, he just stood there in shock for a while. After the slight recovery time, he looked down at his hands and counted on his fingers.

"Its. Nice. To. Meet. You. Kuchiki-san. Six words. I said six words to her. You've got to be kidding me."

When was the last time he was rejected like that? As the dull ache in his chest subsided, he shook he head and laughed at himself, the only other person who could even come close to pulling off something that pathetic would be Keigo. Actually, Keigo would have probably done better, which was something scary to think about. He took a deep breath to clear his head and looked up in search for Rukia's silhouette, vowing to have an actual conversation with her this next time around. But before that, he seriously needed that drink.


	3. Chapter 3: A Picture is Worth

_Hey guys, I hope you like this chapter! I kind of had a had time piecing this chapter together and had to rewrite it at least 5 times. But oh well, I'm pretty at ease with the way things ended up. Thanks for reading and please, please, please review! The feedback really helps and motivates me too! Thanks again!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach… but a girl can dream right?_

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**A Familiar Embrace**

**Chapter 3: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Confusing Words**

_Glad that's finally over_. Rukia mentally wiped the figurative sweat from her brow. Her mini confrontation with Ichigo took more out of her than she wanted to admit. She could still feel the quick beating of her heart, what Rukia hoped would be the only betrayal of her feelings that night.

_Why? Why? I just wanted to have fun tonight and not have to think about stuff like this. Why? _After making her way back into her circle of friends, she snuck a glance at the bright-haired guy standing in the middle of the next room, shaking his head in disbelief. She continued to stare at him, upset with herself. How could he make her feel like this? Her heart was racing and her palms were sweaty, just looking at him made her stomach flip, full of classic butterfly goodness. His tall figure, his unruly hair, his black button-down shirt, the dark jeans, the rough feel of his hands on her palms, the woodsy smell of his cologne, the… Rukia's eyes widened and she shook her head as she realized who she was thinking about. She blushed and looked around, hoping no one had caught her in the act, especially Rangiku.

But Momo wasn't as oblivious. She was confused though. Rukia obviously had some interest in the guy, so why was she so cold to him just then? Rukia liked to play hard-to-get, but she was never cruel to the guys that she turned down. True, Rukia sometimes liked to beat around the bush in these kinds of situations, but this was ridiculous; this proverbial bush had to be size of a small park if that was her attempt at flirting with him.

"Ne, Rukia-chan... what was that all about?" Momo finally got the nerve to ask, attempting to break Rukia out of her daze.

"Huh? What was what?" Rukia asked, knowing full well what Momo was hinting at. Momo refused to answer, and just stared back at Rukia, waiting for a response.

"Nothing. It was nothing. It's just that I finally managed to get myself out of the house and I wanted to spend my time with you guys. Plus, he isn't really my type." Rukia hoped it didn't sound as lame as she thought it sounded.

"Rukia-chan, that is the dumbest excuse ever. I know that you're still hurting, but Kurosaki-kun seems nice. And he not being your type is such a cop-out excuse. You seem to like him, at least talk to the guy. Don't you think it'll be a little uncomfortable trying to avoid him the rest of night?" Momo wasn't really sure why she was pushing for Ichigo so much. She had stopped thinking about it and just chalked it up to a gut feeling.

"_You seem to like him"… but isn't that exactly the problem? Isn't that exactly the problem here?_ Rukia stared at the floor, wishing it were as interesting as her intense staring was making it out to be. Her defenses were fragile as it was, an actual conversation with him just might be too much for her to handle. But whether or not her walls would crumble, all she knew at this point was that she needed a drink if she was going to get through this night with any of her sanity intact.

"I'm going to get something to drink Momo. Do you want anything?"

"No, I'm good." Momo gave Rukia a small smile, all she could do as she realized how Rukia evaded the question. She knew that Rukia was stubborn and would act as she saw fit. All Momo could do was be here for her.

Rukia returned the knowing smile. She appreciated what her friend was trying to do for her, but Rukia herself wasn't sure as to what she wanted, and until then, all she could do was follow her instincts. Too bad her instincts seemed just as confused as her mind.

As Rukia made her way over to the kitchen counter where all the drinks were, she stopped short as she realized who was standing in front of her, his hand reaching the bottle of sake before she could. She looked up and saw an Ichigo that was probably just as surprised as she was; they didn't think they would see the other party so soon after their first encounter. It looked like she would have to make up her mind and sort out her instincts sooner than she thought.

* * *

Momo watched as Rukia made her way into the kitchen. _I wish Rukia-chan would open up a little_. Momo knew that Rukia had always liked to guard her feelings, even to the close friends around her. But this was the first time Momo felt like she hit a wall. Rukia was being extremely careful about revealing _any_ concrete feelings to anyone; all Momo felt now was sadness. She knew that something had happened over summer, but Rukia obviously didn't want to talk about it. 

_And she had just broken up with her boyfriend a few months before summer started. I guess I understand why Rukia is so reluctant about meeting new people, especially guys. But I've never seen her so uneasy before. Maybe she's afraid about getting her heart broken again. _Momo shook her head and brought her right hand to her forehead, a gesture of realization and disbelief; she was appalled at her own actions. _I can't believe I was actually pushing Rukia-chan to talk to Kurosaki-kun. I kept pushing the issue; I didn't even to think about whether or not Rukia-chan felt ready to even think about dating yet._

"Momo, is everything okay?" Toushiro shifted positions on the couch and looked over at Momo in concern. She had been staring off into space, lost in her thoughts for a while now.

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing," Momo sighed, leaning back into the cushions. "Shiro-chan?"

Toushiro frowned and closed his eyes as his eyebrows twitched a little. He really disliked the nickname, but since it was Momo, he couldn't be mad at her.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think Rukia-chan will be okay?"

"I don't follow…" Toushiro replied, raising his eyebrows in confusion.

"Well, you know, with everything that's happened to Rukia, and then there was whatever happened over summer… but she won't talk about it or even acknowledge that anything happened. It's like the elephant in the room, except this time, not only is it an elephant, it's pink with purple polka dots. And I get the feeling that Ran-chan knows something, but just isn't saying anything."

"Yeah, I've noticed it too. Which is really weird, especially since Matsumoto practically works at the rumor mill."

"Shiro-chan! She's not like that. She's just… concerned about everyone… anyways, if Ran-chan knew something, we should also know by now but…"

"More like half of Japan would know by now…" Momo looked over as Toushiro's eyes bore into Ranigku's back across the room. His icy glare threatening to slice the tall girl in half as he remembered why it seemed like the whole school now called him Shiro-chan. Momo just giggled. She had called him Shiro-chan since they were kids; it was too hard to break the habit now…

"Shiro-chan…" Momo finally interrupted, breaking Toushiro out of his vengeful glare. "But that's the point. Since we don't know, it's obviously something big. Something that Ran-chan knew would just hurt Rukia's feelings even more if she said anything, and wouldn't just be a little laugh for everyone." Momo paused and shook her head, "Poor Rukia, she's had a hard year." Momo sighed, frustrated with her inability to help Rukia in any concrete way.

"Well, I'm sure Rukia will be fine. She's a strong girl. She'll get through it, soon she'll find a way to trust and talk to people again and…" Momo looked up when Toushrio paused. "Actually, I'm sure she's started the healing process already."

Momo was a little confused when she heard Toushiro pause, and even more confused by the words that followed.

"Huh? What are you taking about? She couldn't even make small talk with the random guy we met 20 minutes ago, someone she'll probably never even see again after tonight."

"Did he have orange hair?"

"Actually, he did. I couldn't believe it, Shiro-chan, it was just _soo_… orange… but didn't look bleached or dyed… I wonder if that's his natural hair color. Can orange even be your natural-hair color if you're full-blooded Japanese? 'Cause he didn't look half… wait… How'd you know he had orange hair?" Momo stared at Toushiro and he just smiled back at her. Her rants were always so cute.

"'Cause she's talking to him right now." Toushiro gestured with his chin to the living room directly behind Momo. And sure enough, Rukia and Ichigo were seated on the piano bench that had been moved to the corner of the living room. Momo wasn't sure what to make of the various expressions that danced across Rukia's face; she looked like a grab bag of feelings: nervousness, excitement, fear. As Momo watched, Rukia would swing her legs every so often as they dangled over the side of the bench, a small smile on her face as she listened and responded to Ichigo. Sometimes she would get a faraway look in her eyes, as if she were reminiscing. But then there were times when she would smoothen out the non-existent wrinkles in her ivory dress and pull her small cropped jean-jacket close to her body as if trying to protect herself. What was going on?

"Looks like they've been at it for awhile," Toushiro said after observing the two for a while.

"How can you tell?" Momo surveyed the couple, looking for any clues.

"Carrot-top's finishing his drink and Rukia's done with hers." Momo watched as Ichigo tipped his head back to catch the last drops of whatever the cup once held. When nothing came out, he sighed and Rukia giggled. He put the cup on the floor and continued talking. Momo then noticed Rukia's cup on the floor, empty and tipped over, forgotten through the course of their conversation. _Wait. Rukia giggled? _Momo's confusion deepened._ But she was just so cold to him before…_

"See, Momo. She's fine. You worry too much."

"Yeah, I guess so." Momo sighed, took Toushiro's hand and leaned her head against his shoulder, oblivious to the slight blush that had ridden up his cheeks. She was content in just enjoying his close presence as the loud music and noisy conversations drifted over them.

* * *

_Aren't they cute? _Rangiku thought as she caught sight of the red-faced Toushiro and smiling Momo. She grinned as she thought of all the embarrassing things she could say to him to make him even more uncomfortable. It was just so easy to get a rise out of him that she usually couldn't help herself. But she didn't want to interrupt the peaceful moment that the two seemed to be enjoying amongst the chaos that was Renji's house party. That and Toushiro looked like he was finally at ease with Momo leaning against him, his thumb making lazy circles over the back of her hand and his once red cheeks now only a pale pink. She picked up her glass and was just about to refill it with sake when she heard a voice. 

"Oi, Rukia! Don't do this…"

Rangiku curiously turned around and watched with wide eyes, not believing the scene that was unfolding before her.

Rukia was turning away from Ichigo, walking quickly in Rangiku's direction, her head bowed, but not before Rangiku caught the faint glimmer collecting in the corner of her eyes. Even though Rukia was trying to escape, Ichigo was right behind her. He caught her by the wrist and pulled her towards him where she settled into his arms. Her tiny hands were flush against his chest, tightly gripping his black shirt as if she were afraid of falling. His arms were around her shoulder, around her waist and he was whispering something into her ear, oblivious to the gradual spotting of his shirt from the sprinkle of tears that escaped her tightly-shut eyes.

Toushiro and Momo stared in disbelief at Rukia's silent crying figure; her silhouette being intimately embraced by someone who Momo thought was a stranger. Momo felt her head spin as she replayed the night's events in her head, looking for any clues to help her make sense of what she saw before her. Seriously, what was going on?

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_Thanks for reading! I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible so please don't kill me because of the cliff hanger…_


	4. Chapter 4: Endings

_AAAAHHHH, I finally have this chapter up! I know that it's been practically forever since I updated. I was so busy with school and everything, and I seemed to have writer's block for a little bit. But since summer is here, hopefully I can be better about updating. Thank you to all of you who read this and encourage me to write more. It makes writing that much easier and that much more enjoyable. Once again, hopefully you can find time to leave a little review, whether you loved it or hated it. Thanks again! Hope you enjoy this chapter!_

_Disclaimer: I have about as much claim to Bleach as I do over the creation of the universe…_

* * *

**A Familiar Embrace**

**Ch 4: Endings**

"_Oi, Rukia! Don't do this…"_

_Rangiku curiously turned around and watched with wide eyes, not believing the scene that was unfolding before her._

_Rukia was turning away from Ichigo, walking quickly in Rangiku's direction, her head bowed, but not before Rangiku caught the faint glimmer collecting in the corner of her eyes. Even though Rukia was trying to escape, Ichigo was right behind her. He caught her by the wrist and pulled her towards him where she settled into his arms. Her tiny hands were flush against his chest, tightly gripping his black shirt as if she were afraid of falling. His arms were around her shoulder, around her waist and he was whispering something into her ear, oblivious to the gradual spotting of his shirt from the sprinkle of tears that escaped her tightly-shut eyes._

_Toushiro and Momo stared in disbelief at Rukia's silent crying figure; her silhouette being intimately embraced by someone who Momo thought was a stranger. Momo felt her head spin as she replayed the night's events in her head, looking for any clues to help her make sense of what she saw before her. Seriously, what was going on?_

Eight Months Earlier…

The coffee shop was quaint and peaceful; it lacked the hustle and bustle that was characteristic of the Starbucks down the street. A coffee shop was one of the few places that the hushed melodies of Charlie Parker, Elliot Smith, Cyndi Lauper and occasionally Beethoven could coexist as they floated over the muted conversations in the place. Sometimes they would land on deaf ears, ears of those too engrossed in a present conversation of politics or a new shade of red lipstick to allow entry to them. Sometimes they would find a home, only leaving every so often, escaping one's lips as they hummed along. Many of the patrons were there to relax with a cup of coffee and were equipped with reading materials, some obviously for a class and others for sheer enjoyment. Others weren't so lucky.

The atmosphere surrounding Ichigo was not only saturated with the smell of espresso, but was also rife with tension and nervousness. He stared down at his hands, trying to avoid looking at the girl sitting across the table from him. Lucky for him, she was attempting to do the same, her large eyes downcast, staring at her double caramel latté instead, watching the steam rise, dissolving the whip cream into an indistinguishable foamy white mass. The atmosphere was uncomfortable, the topic was uncomfortable and they were uncomfortable.

Neither of them wanted to break the silence. Neither of them knew how to start off the conversation that needed to happen, to mediate the discomfort they were both feeling.

_How did it come to this?_ Ichigo wasn't sure. It seemed like just yesterday that they were in a similar situation, with drastically different emotions.

Thinking back, he remembered how sweaty his palms were. He remembered the nervous smile she had as she stared at the floor, as he stared off into the horizon, trying not to look at her. He never knew now hard it would be to admit his feelings to her, even in such a round about way. The prospect of going to the movies had never been more nerve-racking.

It shouldn't have been so scary; it was just the movies. They had gone to the movies plenty of times before. The only difference now was that it would just be the two of them. When he finally got enough courage to ask her, she had blushed and stumbled over her words as she said yes, a wide smile on her face.

While he remembered buying the tickets and walking into the theater, he couldn't actually remember what movie they ended up seeing. He was so preoccupied with the fact that she was sitting right next to him, happily munching on popcorn and jellybeans, that he ended up unable to piece together the few scenes he did see into a coherent story.

He remembered taking her to the park afterwards. The sun was setting and it reflected beautifully off her hair, giving her a kind of glow that was hard to miss. He watched as she playfully chased after the ducks until they flew away. He remembered smiling back at her when she turned around to look back at him, meeting his soft amber eyes. After that, she would often tell him that she felt like she was drowning in maple syrup whenever their eyes met.

Drowning. Maybe that was the problem here. He felt like they had fallen out of a boat and they were drowning. They had fallen on opposite sides of the boat and couldn't communicate to each other where they were. Couldn't tell one other how to get to the lifesaver that they were sure was somewhere in the water with them.

He felt like they weren't connected anymore. He wasn't sure what was preventing him from grabbing onto the closest buoy to haul himself out of the water. He wanted to save her from drowning, that was for sure. But whether or not he wanted to get back into the boat with her was another question, a question that he no longer knew the answer to.

Ichigo could no longer stand the tension. And it also seemed that she felt the same way as their voices collided when they broke through the silence at the same time.

"Kurosaki-kun…"

"Inoue…"

It was strange. They had known each other for a while now, had been officially a couple for a while and yet they still couldn't bring themselves to call each other by their first names. That distance between them had never been breached.

Their gazes dropped back down to the table, once again unsure about how to approach the subject.

"Ne, Kurosaki-kun. Do you remember our first date?" Ichigo looked up and saw the ghost of a smile that appeared on her face. He thought how strange it was that he was just thinking about it.

"Yeah."

"I remember how nervous I was when you asked me to go to the movies with you. But when I saw that you were just as nervous as I was, it made me feel a lot better. I really had a lot of fun Kurosaki-kun. The ducks were so cute." She smiled. "Ne, Kurosaki-kun, when was the last time we had fun like that?"

"I don't know, Inoue."

"I always thought that this relationship was going to be so easy."

"Hm?"

"When I found out that you were going ask me out, I felt like everything was falling into place. I felt like things were going to be easy from now on because the hard question of whether or not you liked me had already been answered."

"Yeah."

"After that first date, all I thought about was how much fun we were going to have with each other. I thought about how close we were going to be. But it didn't really turn out that way huh?"

"Yeah." Looking at their relationship now, Ichigo saw how nothing had really changed between them, or at least nothing had changed on his part. To him, it almost seemed like he was masquerading as her boyfriend. But he was her boyfriend; he wanted to be her boyfriend, right?

"How did it turn out like this Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime's whisper was barely audible, but Ichigo's keen ears caught her sad voice.

Once again the silence washed over them. Once again, their gaze was pitched downwards into their laps.

"Ne, Kurosaki-kun. Maybe we should take a break." At Orihime's words, Ichigo's head snapped up to look at her. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Take a break? What exactly did that mean anyways? Ichigo wasn't entirely sure, but he knew that a break in their relationship wasn't something that had come to mind as a solution, a real solution anyways. He admitted that he kind of thought about it, but he never thought that Orihime would be thinking that too. And wasn't that relationship suicide in some cases?

"Inoue… what are you saying?"

"Kurosaki-kun! I like you, I really do!" Inoue had placed her hands on the table and half-stood in her almost frantic rant. She looked around to see a few people staring at her. She sat down embarrassed by her outburst, even if it wasn't that loud. "But, maybe the summer will do us some good. I'll be working and you have that summer internship coming up, so both of us will be pretty busy anyways. Maybe we just need the summer break."

Ichigo continued to stare at Inoue, trying to soak up what she was saying. On the one hand, it seemed to make a lot of sense, but he also had a sense of dread about what would happen to their relationship if they went on a break.

"Yeah…" Ichigo wasn't sure what else he was supposed to say in this kind of situation. Sounds good? Have a great summer and I'll see you in the fall? "Yeah. Maybe it's for the best…"

"Yeah…"

The couple returned their gazes to their laps, their unconvincing voices filling the space around them, attempting to provide some sort of comfort, even though they were inadequate in doing so.

* * *

Rukia couldn't believe what she was seeing. How was this possible? Why was this happening? How could this be happening? She could feel the rapid beating of her heart and the sudden sweating of her palms. It was just supposed to be like any other normal Saturday. She went for her morning run, had breakfast with her brother, did some reading for class at the park, and began her routine stroll by the pier on her way back to home. It was all part of her normal routine for a Saturday, but what she saw when she decided to pick up some fresh fruit from the farmer's market was not. 

There he was sitting at a café with a familiar girl that she couldn't recognize right away. Then she remembered, Miyako. She had met the girl a few times, but for some reason, she only remembered the girl's given name and couldn't pick out Miyako's family from her memory. Shiba Kaien and Miyako had been in a few classes together and Rukia knew they were good friends.

She didn't know that Kaien was going to be at the pier but then again Rukia never felt the need to know where her boyfriend was 24 hours a day and so she was pleasantly surprised. They hadn't been able to see each other as much as Rukia would like for the past few months; they were both so busy with schoolwork and trying to secure summer internships that the end of their junior year in college was only a few weeks away without them realizing it. Rukia smiled and began to walk over to where they were sitting, planning to stop by for a quick greeting before she went home.

But what she saw next gave her the feeling that her heart might have stopped. The two were just laughing and talking when Kaien reached over and tucked a piece of hair that had fallen in front of Miyako's face behind her ear. She smiled at him as he leaned forward, his hand lingering on her cheek, giving her a tender kiss on the lips. The kiss couldn't have lasted more than a few seconds, but to Rukia, seeing her boyfriend of two years kiss another girl so tenderly in public, it seemed like a moment that would never end.

Rukia continued to stare at the pair sitting at the café, who were oblivious to the fact that Rukia was watching them from less then 50 feet away. It felt like someone had just punched her in the stomach and was restricting her breathing. She just stood there shocked not knowing how to react. But before she could move her legs and run away, Kaien and Miyako had gotten out of their seats and began walking hand-in-hand out of the café and unknowingly towards Rukia.

What was she supposed to do now? Rukia felt glued to the cement as she watched Kaien and Miyako get up from the table and make their way towards the exit and thus towards her. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do, but she knew that she didn't want to see either of them right now. What was she going to do? She could not find anything to say that would benefit them anyway. At this point, she just wanted to disappear and run away from this situation. She didn't want to deal with this and would probably have remained in a state of denial for as long as she could if Kaien hadn't spotted her. He spotted in his tracks and surprised Miyako with his abrupt stop. She looked over to where Kaien was starring and saw Rukia's disbelieving face turn-away and gradually become tear-stained.

Miyako's eyes widened in realization and moved to quickly retract her hand that was encased by Kaien's, but he just tightened his grip, affirming that it was Miyako's hand that he wanted in his. She looked up at Kaien in confusion as he continued to look at Rukia, contemplating what to do or say. Finally he spoke.

"Rukia, do you want to talk about this now or later?" Although Kaien's voice was just a few levels above a whisper and said in probably the kindest way possible, to Rukia's ears it was loud and harsh. Did she want to talk about it? Not particularly, since it was pretty obvious what the outcome of that talk would be.

"What's there to talk about Kaien?" Rukia's eyes remained downcast, she couldn't bring herself to look at them together.

"Rukia, let me explain, I …"

"What is there to explain? I think you've made your point, Shiba-san." Kaien flinched at the use of his last name.

"Rukia…"

"Goodbye Shiba-san." Rukia turned and began to leave, slowly making the usual walk back to her house on an unusual day.

While Rukia was holding it together on the outside, her brain was having difficulty processing what was going on and what had just happened. _I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand… what is going on, what… why… I don't understand. _Her thoughts seemed to be confined to those words; she couldn't escape the loop because she couldn't fully comprehend, and part of her didn't want to fully comprehend, what was going on.

Suddenly, Rukia heard footsteps behind her and felt a hand grab her shoulder and forcibly turn her around.

"Rukia, let me…" Kaien stopped as he saw the tears running down Rukia's face. Her defenses were crumbling down in front of him and knowing that he was the cause didn't help. He knew that it would eventually come down to this, but seeing it was another story.

"Please, Kaien, just go, just let me go." Somehow, Rukia managed to choke out the words through her tears. She turned around once again and began to walk. She didn't even know her destination at this point; her sense of direction was gone with the shock. She just wanted to walk away from the situation. She wanted to get as far away from her source of pain as possible. She just wanted to walk, whenever it was, as long as it wasn't here.


End file.
